One year on from opening, Cricket Ireland performance director Richard Holdsworth has paid a glowing tribute to La Manga Club's European Cricket Performance Centre in helping to prepare the Irish team for the demands of Test cricket.

Ireland made their eagerly-awaited Test debut against Pakistan earlier this month and emerged with huge credit from the game in Dublin, reducing the visitors to 14-3 at one stage in their second innings before eventually succumbing to a five-wicket defeat.

Ireland have been regular visitors to La Manga Club's new centre since it opened last spring, taking full advantage of the chance to train under sunny skies, and Holdsworth is full of praise for the role the world-famous resort has played in the development of Ireland's players across all age groups.

“The facility really is becoming world class and certainly the best I've seen in Europe, and with the warm weather, is the ultimate place to play and train for cricket,” said Holdsworth.

“The new grass pitches at the European High Performance Centre are outstanding given how young they are. After just 14 months since they were constructed and seeded, the Ireland Emerging and Senior Academy used both the grass nets and playing strip over the Easter period and were really impressed by the bounce, carry and evenness given they are still very young.  

“The additional facilities including artificial nets, Bola bowling machines, fielding areas and high performance gym and pool have given the players the opportunity to gain some important practice and player development ahead of the season.  

“Two of those players, Tyrone Kane and Nathan Smith, were subsequently selected for Ireland's First Test squad against Pakistan, and there is no doubt that their preparation at La Manga Club helped them.  Several Ireland squads will be practising and playing in La Manga Club during the year.”

La Manga Club's European Cricket Performance Centre has been designed to help international teams, counties, schools and colleges, as well as assisting with the development of players and coaches.

The extensive facilities include six first-class grass pitches and two artificial wickets on two existing grounds, plus 18 grass and five artificial net lanes – all with 25-yard run-ups. In addition, there is also a specialist grass fielding, catching and wicket-keeping areas.

Regularly used for warm-weather training breaks by county and international teams as well as being a regular venue for ICC European tournaments, La Manga Club is widely regarded as the 'home of cricket' in Spain, with Northamptonshire the latest county to visit the resort as part of their preparations for the 2018 season.

Boasting an average 300 days' sun a year, the resort's ideal Mediterranean climate makes it possible to train outdoors in the sunshine all-year round, and the cricket centre is a further illustration of La Manga Club's commitment to providing both professional and amateur athletes with the perfect training experience.

Set in 1,400 acres, La Manga Club boasts unrivalled facilities including a High Performance Sports Centre and modern high-altitude training facility iAltitude. Additionally, there are three 18-hole golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and a 2,000sqm Wellness Centre. It also offers the choice of a five-star hotel, four-star serviced apartments and more than 15 bars and restaurants. 

For more details on La Manga Club, visit www.lamangaclub.com 

ENDS

Information for journalists

Press release written and distributed on behalf of La Manga Club by Azalea. 

About La Manga Club

Located in a magnificent natural environment next to Calblanque National Park and the Mediterranean Sea, with a mild year-round climate and enjoying exceptional security and privacy, the exclusive resort of La Manga Club (Los Belones, Cartagena, Murcia) offers luxury, leisure and sport in the same place, and is set just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour away from Alicante.  Founded in 1972, the resort now covers an area of 566 hectares containing accommodation, professional sports facilities, relaxation zones, first-class redevelopment and a private community of 2,300 residents, in a region which boasts more than 350 days of sun and is surrounded by natural parks and untouched beaches. La Manga Club's extensive facilities include:

- A five-star hotel: Hotel Príncipe Felipe 5*

- Tourist apartments: Las Lomas Village 4*

- Luxury villas

- Three 18-hole golf courses

- A 28-court tennis centre

- Eight FIFA-sized football pitches

- 2,000m2 Wellness Centre  

- The resort's famous La Cala beach and restaurant, overlooking the Mediterranean 

- More than 15 bars and restaurants

Additionally, there is the opportunity to rent a property, purchase a plot of land or buy any of the villas already available that have been built on the complex, and benefit from the services and commodities that a five-star hotel has to offer, such as the sports facilities on the resort. With the variety of activities and facilities available, La Manga Club has firmly established itself as one of the best sports and leisure destination resorts in Europe, and has been the proud recipient of a host of prestigious international awards and accolades over the last four decades.

www.lamangaclub.com  

• High-resolution images of La Manga Club may be downloaded for editorial purposes from https://goo.gl/oi837y  

For more information on La Manga Club contact Pete Simm on 01730 711920 or email petes@theazaleagroup.com